Ocean Energy Institute Founder Says New Hurricane Will Require Gulf Evacuation
The U.S. National Hurricane Center has warned that a weather system near Cuba, centered between islands of Acklins and Great Inagua, may move into the Gulf of Mexico this weekend, reports Bloomberg this morning. “I am still worried about how it will move the oil slick into the coastal areas of Louisiana and Mississippi,” meteorologist Jim Rouiller said.
In response to the approach of the tropical cyclone, BP workers in the Gulf of Mexico have stopped drilling a relief well and are preparing to evacuate, reports the BBC. On Wednesday, National Incident Commander Thad Allen said a tropical storm in the area could push back the timetable 10 to 14 days.
Matthew Simmons, founder of the Ocean Energy Institute, told Bloomberg on Wednesday that a leak near the Deepwater Horizon site may require an evacuation of the Gulf coast if a hurricane strikes the area. “Some five to ten miles away is what the NOAA research vessels have proved is a deep oil leak that is growing by the day and it is very toxic oil and its gases are very lethal and basically if we have a hurricane now we need to evacuate the Gulf coast,” Simmons said.
